Ideal Weight Calculator | Discover Your Healthy Weight

Determine your ideal body weight based on height, age, and gender. This calculator offers tailored insights to help maintain a healthy weight and minimize health risks linked to being underweight or overweight.


Ideal Weight Calculator

cm
Enter a height between 120 cm and 250 cm.
ft
in
Enter a height between 4 ft and 8 ft.
Used as context only; the formulas use height and sex.
Small frame -10%, large frame +10% of the average estimate.
Clear

Enter your height and gender, then click Calculate to see your ideal weight.

How Much Should I Weigh?

Understanding Ideal Body Weight

Ideal body weight (IBW) is a statistical estimate of a healthy weight for a given height and sex. The formulas were originally created to help calculate medication dosages, not to define how a person should look. Use IBW as a general reference point alongside other measures such as BMI, waist circumference, and body-fat percentage.

Important Note

IBW does not account for body composition, so muscular athletes can appear "overweight" by these formulas while being perfectly healthy. You can be slightly above or below your ideal weight and still be in good health. Always consult a healthcare professional for personalised guidance.

Ideal Weight Formulas Explained

Formula Male Female Notes
Robinson Formula
1983
52 + 1.9 × inches over 5 ft 49 + 1.7 × inches over 5 ft A 1983 refinement of the Devine formula, widely cited in modern references.
Miller Formula
1983
56.2 + 1.41 × inches over 5 ft 53.1 + 1.36 × inches over 5 ft A 1983 formula that gives a more gradual weight increase per inch of height.
Devine Formula
1974
50 + 2.3 × inches over 5 ft 45.5 + 2.3 × inches over 5 ft Created in 1974 for drug-dosing, it became the most common IBW formula in clinical use.
Hamwi Formula
1964
48 + 2.7 × inches over 5 ft 45.5 + 2.2 × inches over 5 ft Developed in 1964 for rapid bedside dosage estimates; the simplest of the four.
Healthy weight range (BMI 18.5–24.9) 18.5–24.9 × height in m² The WHO healthy BMI range (18.5–24.9) converted to a weight range for your height.

Each formula starts from a base weight at 5 ft (152.4 cm) and adds weight for every inch above (or subtracts for every inch below).

What Affects Your Ideal Weight

Height

Height is the main input. Taller people carry more lean mass, so ideal weight rises steadily with height.

Gender

Men typically have more muscle and so a higher ideal weight than women of the same height.

Age

Age has little effect on IBW for adults, though lean mass tends to fall and body fat rise as you get older.

Body Frame Size

A larger or smaller skeletal frame shifts a healthy weight up or down by roughly 10%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Each formula was developed by different researchers using different data, so they give slightly different results. Showing all four — Robinson, Miller, Devine and Hamwi — and their average gives a more balanced estimate than relying on any single one.

No single formula is "the most accurate" for everyone. The Devine and Robinson formulas are the most widely used in clinical settings. The average of all four, together with the healthy BMI range, is the most practical guide.

The range uses the World Health Organization healthy BMI band of 18.5 to 24.9. We multiply each BMI value by your height in metres squared to get a low and high weight in kg, then convert to pounds.

These formulas do not use age — they depend on height and sex. We offer an optional age field for context only. For adults, age has minimal impact on the calculated ideal weight.

A common method is to wrap your thumb and index finger around the wrist of your other hand. If they overlap you likely have a small frame; if they just touch, a medium frame; if they do not touch, a large frame. Frame size adjusts the estimate by about 10%.

Not exactly. Ideal weight is a single estimate from a formula, while a healthy weight is a range. The BMI-based range shown here is usually a better target than any single number, because healthy bodies come in many shapes.

What Is an Ideal Weight Calculator?

An ideal weight calculator estimates a healthy body weight for your height and sex using the Robinson, Miller, Devine and Hamwi formulas, plus the healthy BMI range (18.5–24.9). It is a general guide, not medical advice.